an inspector calls

shiela - act 3

"you don't seem to have learned anything"

• achknowledges purpose of inspectors inquirey -a moral teaching

• Priestley does this to portray the older generation as stubborn and opposed to changing their stance on reponsibility

Shiela - act 3

"i felt rotten about it at the time"

• "rotten"-informal adjective demonstrates shielas lack of maturity through vocabulary

• shows remorse for actions, Priestly conveying message that maturity is proportianal to level of social responsibility you feel, rather than using formal vocabulary

Sheila - act 3

"it's you two who are being childish- trying not to face the facts"

• recognises her parents faults

• Priestley uses irony to expose lack of responsibility and immaturity of Mr and Mrs birling ,as she labels them as "childish"

Shiela - act 1

"but these girls aren't cheap labour- they're people"

• priestley demonstrates shielas recognition of inspectors message as she objects to her fathers dehumanising message and capitalist approach

Birling - act 1

"i can't accept any responsibility"

• "can't"-modal verb suggests blame goes against his nature

• doesn't want to be burdened by mistake

• effects his reputation

• priestley does this to show how obsession with class clouds judgement

Birling - act 1

"obviously it has nothing to do with that wretched girls suicide"

• "obviously"-result of arrogance and disrespect of others accepting blame would be a sign of weakness

• "wretched girls"-lacks compassion and patience-won't take responsibility because he doesn't pity her

• believes his actions are irrelevent- priestley implies this interpretation is simplistic and self serving, allowing people to excuse themselves of blame

Birling -act 3

"that's every excuse for what your mother and i did- it turned out unfortunately thats all"

• worthless reason- desperarte to excuse himself of blame

• "unfortunately thats all"- conveys heartlessness

• makes it seem like a trivial matter showing how upper classes trivialised and dismissed lower class hardships- evas death is an inconvenience

Eric - act 3

"i wasn't in love with her or anything but i liked her- she was pretty and a good sport"

• only sought comfort and affection- something his parents lacked

• childish, irresponsible

• objectifies her- like prey, fell prey to birlings and class system

Eric - act 1

"[involuntarily] my god"

• contrast "yes, yes horrible business"

• convey message that emotion is humsn and necessary for society to improve

• "involuntarily"- demonstrates moral nature of Eric as he could not suppress his emotional reachtion- would choose to not show emotions ina partriarchal society which condemns feminine traits e.g excessive emotion as "hysteria"

inspector - act 3

"we are members of one body, we are responsible for each other... if men will not learn that lesson, then they will be taught in fire, blood, anguish"

• priestly warning audience and society of consequence of evading social responsibility

• language is carefully composed and moralistic in tone

• violent imagery is powerful and suggesting impending conflict

• alternatively:

• semantic field of connection advocates for community and equality, both aspects of socialism

• metaphor “one body” emphasises how nothing happens in isolation or alternatively may link to society benefits the most if everyone is contributing and recieving

Inspector - act 2

"public men, Mr birling, have responsiblities as well as privileges"

• birlings have an even greater responsibility because of upperclass

• authur repeats responsibility but interprets it differently

• inspector argues memers of society have duties and obligations towards each others welfares

Birling - act 1

"it's my duty to keep labour costs down"

• "duty"- to his business but not his society

• neglect and inhumanity are a part of business

• does not believe he is responsible for anyone else

• implies his duty is exploit his workers

Birling- act 2

"you'd think everybody has to look after everybody else… like bees in a hive- community and all that nonsense"

• "you'd think"- thinks idea is prepostorous

• "bees in a hive"- people in his factories had to work like bees while he did nothing, believes community and social responsibility is weak and demeaning

• "all that nonsense"- audience views him as heartless becayse of insensitive language.

• constructed to be disgusted by the idea of helping others

eric - act 3

“i insisted-it seems”

• verb implies eric may have physically overwhelmed evas resistence

• ambiguous verb phrase revelas erics attempt toforget his immoral actions and distance himself fromg guilt

eric - act 3

“she wasnt the usual sort”

“she did’nt know what to do”

• reveals erics previous experience with prostitutes

• adjective “usually” implies its normal

• implies he is attracted to ignorance and aware he can exploit her

• These statements expose Eric's naive perceptions of women and his objectification of them.

• The word "usual" suggests he views women as a commodity, comfortable exploiting their vulnerability.

eric- act 3

“you don’t understand anytrhing. you never did. you never even tried”

• continues to undermine himself as he berates her

• use of repitition and hyperbole shows his youth

• short sentences emphasises his devestation and anger

• highlights Eric's frustration with his parents' lack of empathy and understanding towards others' struggles. His emotional outburst underscores the generational conflict over social responsibility and moral duty.

eric- act3

“you killed her- and the child…your own grandchild”

• priestley encourages audience to sympathise with eric

• despite inspector attempts to enlighten the birling family that they are all jointly responsible

• by placing blame on mother, he attempts to absolve himself of any blame

eric- act 1

“[not too rudely] well, don’t do anu. we’ll drink to their health and have done with it”

• eager to be done with talk of engagement as he realises riduculousness of toast of a marrige that is mearly a transaction

• disapproves but doesn’t have power to challenge his father directly yet is not at ease with capitalist purpose of marriage

• reflects Eric's internal conflict regarding the transactional nature of marriage and social expectations. His reluctance highlights the tension between capitalist values and emerging socialist ideals, demonstrating his growing awareness of the moral implications behind such transactions.

eric- act 1

“why shouldnt they try for higher wages”

“you said yourself she was a good worker”

• questions father as he believes capitalism system ought to be fair to both employers and employees

• puts foward moral form of capitalism, pointing out shes a good worker and should be financially rewarded

• Eric confronts his father's views, advocating for fair wages and better treatment of workers. His questioning highlights his shift towards a more equitable social system, emphasizing the need for moral responsibility in capitalist practices.

• presents eric with capacity for emotionand empathy which separates him from other charachters

eric- act 3

“in that state when a chap easily turns nasty”

• priestly demonstrates erics subconscious attempts to distance himself from his actions by switching from 1st to 3rd

• erics trivialisation of suchn violence through colliquial language “a chap” is an attempt to soften his actions

• colloquial language-lack of restraint which implies it was the alcohol not his lack of morals.

eva smth

• reference to eve

• symbol of allliving people as eve is mother of humanty

• representation of all huamnity but especially women and poor

• most common surname in britain, symbolises everyday people of britian, working classname-demonstrates class is a fixed part of identity, something she can’t escape, case identity of individuals

daisy renton

• dereived from rent

• euphamism for prostitiution

• forced to rent herself out to survive

• daisys are known in literature as fallen women

eva/mrs birling - act 2

“a girl of that sort would ever refuse money”

• assumes that due to her lower-class origin, she is inherently greedy

• eva is constrcuted as a moral source, who never takes stolen money, this contrats with birling as all of them seek more money

eva/ mrs birling - act 2

“impertinance’

“one of the many things that prejudiced me against her”

• connatations of class prejudice, implying that mrs birling sees herself as superior

• those living in poverty have no way to escape it as they cannot challenge their exploitations. evas attempt to strike saw her fired and the institutes meant to help those in her position are prejudiced against her

eva/ gerald

“young and fresh and charming and altogether out of place down there”

• bears connatations of desire and fertility, as gerald views her with sexual desires from start. Describing her food- seasher as a possession, mysogynistic objectification

• connantations of purity, appeals to him because he seems innoncent

eva/ inspector

“died in misery and agony- hating life”

• graphic adjectives encourage audience to emphasise with eva, visualising the pain and suffereing she endured at the hands of the birling

• priestly intensifies shielas guilt as her enjoyment of life is at the expense of others

gerald

“leave after a strike.. said something about a shop too”

• confirms story of mr birling and shiela.

• gerald knows eva is the same person but still later suggests “theres still no proof that its the same girl”

• gerald is trying to excuse his own behaviour and also convinces himself that he is innocent, through breaking chain of events and therefore implying it wasnt his actions

gerald- responsibility

“you couldn’t have done anything else”

• geralds support for mr birling is necessary to uphold good relations with his father-in-law and therefore he aligns himself with mr birling views

• more likely that this is geralds genuine view and he will inherit croft family businness so is a true capitalist at heart

• shows how being a capitalist is a belief that is inherited as gerald is surrounding only by capitalist and that socialist beliefs must be instilled within younger generations

eric

“i insisted… i made her take some money”

• monetary exchanges, rather than financial aid

• gerald is disguising prostitution as charity

• pristleys use of imperatives bears connatations of power and force ; gerald was always in power and control

birling

“provincial in his speech”

• adjective “provincial” is used to show low-class origins of mr birling

• speak with noticable accent which revelas lower-class origins

• insecurity causes him to constantly remind people of his status by bringing up his “knighthood”

• “provincial” indicates a lack of sophistication

birling

“for lower costs and higher prices”

• shows pompous nature as he steals spotlight after engagement announcement

• values shiels based on her capacity to further the family company and thereby objectifies her

• values prospect of increased profit over his daughters engangement

birling

“a man has to make his own way-has to look after himself”

• capitalism discouraged people from looking after one another

• priestley showing how capitalism is selfish and lacks compassion for others

• as evas story is revelaed priestley shows how this mantra reults in people being left behind

“i dont see that it’s any concern of yours how i choose to run my business” , find inspectors questions “officious” and “unecessary”

• capitalism makes people defensive, secretive and hostile

• he doesnt like being questioned or critcised

• adjective “officious” implies he doesnt want inspecgtor questioning him as it challneges his authourity and intelligence

• mr birling doesnt want anyone interfering with how he runs with his business, in 1912 the liberal part would have allowed my birling to run his business however he wanted

• socialist inspector is opposed to capitalism - priestley suggests the culture of personal freedom and privacy within business allowed people to be exploitative, fraudulent or decpetive without consequence

inspector

“what happened to her after may have driven her to suicide. Achain of events”

• “chain” conjures a visual image of how, in socialism, means of production are shared equally with everyone

• metaphor , further implies peopleare linked by more than just property or money

• prieslty shows how life itself is a “chain” that links everyone, meaning socialism is not just an economic system but concept can be applied to morality and every day life

• demonstrates goe easy it is to do so without noticing

inspector -act 1

“but after all is it’s better to ask for the earth than to take it”

• inspector implies that birling and all capitalists were responsible for taking evas life

• imagery shows how extreme capitalism destruction and greed is

• businues owners have the whole earth but still stop others from asking for a higher wage

mrs birling

“naturally, i don’t know anything about this girl”

• priestlety blames class prejudice for peoples refusal to accept responsibility for others. she vouches her innocence before she knows who eva is

• adverbs “naturally” implies she is automatically above suspicioun because of her social standing. she believes evas life is completely separate from her own so she can’t be involved

• situational irony as involvement is is soon revealed

mrs birling

“i consider i did my duty…i’ve done nothing wrong”

• shows her ignorance as it was her “duty” to give eva help not judge her

• doesnt accept any responsiblity

• priestley is showing the delusion of the upper classes and capitalist mindset as they evade responsibility under the pretense of “duty”